Skip to main content

Eats for The Road

Packing a lunch & snacks for a family road trip or picnic?

Strawberries, almond butter, and cream cheese rolled up in a honey wheat wrap is just one way to make an easy, packable, on-the-go lunch. While a food pouch can be an easy choice for nutrition on the go for little ones, it’s nice to take a break on your road trip or family outing for a picnic.

Yes, it requires a little extra time and effort, but having a relaxing moment with some good food makes it all worth it. When packing a lunch or snacks, the first thing you need is a cooler and ice to keep everything cold and fresh. Once you have that, the options are endless!

Here are a few ideas:

Snacks on the Road

Cubed melons or pineapple, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or whatever else is in season is about as simple as it gets. You can mix it as a fruit salad or offer it separately as finger foods, either way, fruit is hydrating and refreshing on a hot day. Pre-cutting a watermelon into small triangles or a stick shape with the rind still attached saves time and gives little hands something to hold on to.

Veggies like carrot sticks, broccoli, sliced peppers, and cucumbers can also be fun, especially if you pack some hummus or yogurt-based dip. You could also prepare your favorite fruits or veggies on skewers ahead of time and even put a chunk of cheese on there.

Speaking of cheese, you can’t go wrong with throwing a handful of cheese sticks in the cooler. They can be offered with whole-grain crackers as a snack.

Sandwiches

Use them to make travel-friendly pizza roll-ups like in this recipe from drink-milk.com. Simply cut whole grain wraps in half or use small tortillas, spread with a tablespoon of pizza sauce. Leave some space on the edges so it doesn’t ooze out. Add a layer of turkey pepperoni, top with a cheese stick down the center, and roll it up.

Another fun roll-up is a take on PB & J, but instead of jelly, you use fruit. You could also swap out the peanut butter for almond butter, any other nut butter, or sun butter.

Try These Combinations

  • Strawberries, almond butter, and cream cheese
  • Apples, peanut butter, and a slice of sharp cheddar
  • If you want to stick to the usual meat, lettuce, and cheese wrap, you could slice it into pinwheels. That way if you make a variety of wraps everyone can get a little of each, plus it just makes it more fun.

In scrolling Pinterest recently, several people suggest using tackle boxes to organize snacks for a road trip. You do this by filling each compartment with your child’s favorite crackers, cereal, dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, pumpkin seeds, granola bars, and more. Other easily pack-able ideas are mini muffins, granola or trail mix, popcorn, jerky, and GoGurts. You can freeze ahead of time.

Desserts

Desserts made in individual Mason jars are more travel-friendly than packing an entire cheesecake. The mini portion sizes are nice. The aforementioned cheesecake can be achieved by putting crushed graham crackers in the bottom, then using ricotta or Greek Yogurt and topping with fruit.

For chocolate cream pie, layer chocolate cookie crumbs in the bottom, then chocolate pudding, and top with whipped cream.

For banana cream pie, layer bananas, pudding, yogurt, and vanilla wafers.

Salads

I have a couple of great salad ideas to pack for your summer adventures. The possibilities are endless!

Creamy Broccoli Cranberry Salad

  • 8 oz. fresh broccoli
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup dry cranberries
  • 1/2 oz. sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
  • 1 oz. white distilled vinegar
  • 1 tsp. granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. low-fat mayo
  • 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. skim milk

Instructions

  1. Combine broccoli, onion, cranberries, and sunflower seeds.
  2. Combine yogurt, vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, and milk.
  3. Blend until all ingredients are smooth.
  4. Add dressing to broccoli mixture. Toss well until the salad is well coated.

From DairyGood.org.

Crunchy Grape Salad (can double as dessert)

  • 3 cups green grapes (cut in half if worried about choking hazard)
  • 3 cups red grapes (cut in half if worried about choking hazard)
  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Using mixer blend cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
  2. Fold in grapes and sprinkle with brown sugar, walnuts, and pecans.

From smalltownwoman.com

If you are having a staycation in your backyard instead of a road trip, how about making some frozen pops or ice cream bars for the kids? The nice thing about making your own pops or ice cream bars is you get to decide what goes in them.

Peanut Butter Banana Frozen Yogurt Pop

  • 1 cup Greek Yogurt
  • 1 cup light cream (optional if you want a lighter pop, but this keeps it from freezing too solid and gives it a creamier consistency)
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 large bananas (cut into pieces)
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

  1. Using a hand mixer, blend until ingredients are smooth, and then pour into ice cube trays. This recipe filled two standard ice cube trays.
  2. Put in the freezer for 1-2 hours, then take out to insert craft sticks or whatever you choose for a pop stick.
  3. Return to the freezer. You might need to run hot water over the bottom of the tray to get them to break up easily when you are ready to serve.

 

What People Have to Say

Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council works with school nutrition directors and staff
across the state and offers grants to provide needed equipment throughout the year.

Maine Dairy

Good for Maine

Good for you

Milk Splash

Maine Dairy

Good for Maine

Good for you